Self-oiling journal-bearing.



- No.727,319. PATENTED MAY5,1903. I

G. A. ENSIGN. SELF OILING JOURNAL BEARING.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29. 1902.

N0 MODEL.

%M/%' w Z 21v VENTOI? A TTORNE rs.

. the bearing and to permit its employment on Patented May 5, 1903.

FFICE.

ATENT GEORGE A. ENSIGN, OF DEEIANOE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO DEFIANOE MACHINE \VORKS, OF DEFIANOE, OHIO.

SELF-OILING JOURNAL- BEARING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,319, dated May 5, 1903.

Application filed October 29, 1902 Serial No. 129,254. (No model.)

To (tZZ whom it may concern: 7 I

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. ENSIGN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Defiance, in the county of Defiance and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Self-Oiling Journal-Bearings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. The invention relates to journal-boxes of the ring-oiler type; and its object is to provide a new and improved self-oiling journalbearing which is simple and durable in construction, positive in its action, requiring little or no attention, and arranged to uni-1 formly distribute the lubricant to all parts of high-speed shafts.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be more fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal'sectional elevation of the improvement on the line 1 l of Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a like View of the journalbox with the shaft and 'ring-oiler removed; and Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the improvement on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, parts being broken out.

The journal-box A is preferably made in the usual sections, bolted or otherwise fastened together, as plainly indicated in Fig. 3, and in the said box is journaled the shaft B, carrying a ring O, extending in a transverse annular groove D, formed on the inner face of the box A and intersecting an oil-well E, for containing the oil or other lubricant, the said oil-well being preferably in the shape of a bore extending longitudinally in'the bottom of the box A and normally closed at its ends by screw-plugs E, which when removed permit convenient cleaning and refilling of the oil-well whenever it is deemed necessary.

The annular groove D is somewhat wider than the ring 0, except a rear portion near the edge, which is narrowed to form wipingfaces F F F of which the faces F F engage I the sides of the ringO, while the face F en gages the peripheral face of the said ring 0. From'the annular groove D and beginning at the front edges of the Wiping-faces F F lead the feed or distributing grooves G G, formed on the inner face of the box A and extending outwardly and downwardly to within a short distance of the ends of the box A and to then return in an outward and inward direction to finally connect again with the annular groove D at or near the bottom thereof, as plainly indicated in Fig. 2.

It will be seen from Figs; 2 and 3 that the wiping-faces F F extend from theouter wall of the annular groove D entirely down to the bore through which the shaft B passes, while the wiping-face F fills the space between the outer peripheryof the collar 0 and the adjacent parallel wall'of the groove D. Hence the open space in the groove D between the collar 0 and the adjacent walls of said groove is entirely filled at one point in said groove by the aforesaid wiping-faces, andat this point, (at the front edge of said wiping-faces,) as

already referred to, the distributing-grooves G G begin. Hence the entire quantity of oil carried up by the collar 0 and partaking of the momentum of said collar is suddenly stopped anddammed up in the groove D by the wiping-faces, with no forward outlet except the said distributing-grooves G G. It

therefore follows that the momentum imparted to the oil by the collar 0 tends to force the oil into the said grooves, which force is very considerable, due to the fact that my device is commonly used with machinery running at a high rate of speed. It will also be seen from Fig. 3 that the front edges of the wiping-faces F, F, and F lie in a plane at a tangent to the circumference of the shaft B, so that when the oil strikes said edges it is deflected downwardly toward the shaft to the beginnings of the grooves G G, causing the momentum of the oil to concentrate its force, as it were, at that point.

Now by the arrangement described the ring 0 in extending into the lubricant contained in the oil-well E carries up some of the lubricant when the shaft B is rotated in the direction of the arrow at, and this lubricant carried upward is wiped off on the faces F F F and directed to entrance ends of the feed or distributing grooves G G, so that the lubricant now flows along in the grooves G G in an outward and downward direction and then finally back in an inward and outward direction to properly lubricate theshaft B. The return-flowing lubricant finally passes into the transverse groove D and back into the oil-well E, to be again carried up by the ring 0, and thus be used over and over again.

Oil that works to the ends of the box A passes into the annular grooves H H, connected at their bottoms by ports H with the outer ends of the oil-well E, so that this oil is not liable to drip ofi from the box, but is returned to the oil-well, as above explained.

The ring 0 is preferably made in two sections, connected with each other by interlocking tongues and grooves O, as plainly shown in Fig. 3; to permit of applying the ring 0 to shafts already in use. In order to hold the ring 0 in position on the shaft B, springs I are set in recesses in the ring-sections and press on the peripheral face of the shaft B, as plainly indicated in Fig. 3.

As the ring 0 extends loosely in the annular groove D, with the exception of thereduced portion, it is evident that the shaft B can be readily run at a very high rate of speed without causing undue friction of the ring in the bearing, and as the ring constantly delivers oil to the feed-grooves G G it is evident that the interior of the box A and the peripheral face of the shaft B are uniformly lubricated to insure proper running of the shaft without danger of overflowing.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A self-oiling journal-bearing, comprising a box having a Well, and a transverse annular groove leading into the well, and a feedgroove on the inner face of the box leading from or near the top of the annular groove in an outward and downward direction to then return to the annular groove at or near the bottom thereof; a ring or carrier secured to the revoluble part and extending into said annular groove and well, said annular groove being narrowed at a point adjacent the be- I ginning of the feed-grooves and filling said annular groove around the carrier at that point to form wipingfaces to cause the lubricant adhering to the carrier to be ob structed and forced or driven by its momentum into the entrance ends of the feedgrooves, as set forth.

2. 'An oil-carrier for self-oiling journalbearings, consisting of a ring engaging the shaft and made in sections having interlocking tongues and grooves, and springs held on the sections and bearing against the peripheral face of the shaft to hold the ring in position on the shaft, as set forth.

3. A self-oiling journal-bearing, comprising a box having a well, and a transverse annular groove leading into the well and a feedgroove on the inner faceof the boxleading from or near the top of the annular groove in an outward and downward direction to then return to the annular groove at or near the bottom thereof, and a ring or carrier secured to the revoluble part and extending into said annular groove and well, said annular groove being narrowed at a point adjacent the beginning of the feed-grooves and filling said annular groove around the carrier at that point to form wiping-faces to cause the lubricant adhering to the carrier to be obstructed and forced or driven by its momentum into the entrance ends of the feed-grooves, and an annular groove near the end of the box and in communication with the well, as set forth.

4. A self-oiling journal-bearing, comprising a carrier secured on the revoluble part; and a box having a well and a transverse annular groove for the carrier to extend in said groove leading into said well; and a feedgroove on the inner face of the box, and leading from or near the top of the annular groove in an outward and downward direction to then return to the annular groove at or near the bottom thereof; and means for utilizing the momentum of the oil gathered up by the carrier to drive the same into the feed-grooves.

5. A self-oiling journal-bearing, comprising a carrier secured to the revoluble part, a

well for the carrier to extend in, a journalbox having on its inner face a feed-groove and a transverse annular groove for the carrier to revolve in, wiping-faces filling said annular groove around the carrier at the point where the feed-grooves begin, whereby to obstruct the lubricant on the carrier, and cause it to be forced by its momentum into the entrance end of the feed-grooves, as specified and for the purpose set forth.

6. A self-oiling journal-bearing, comprising a carrier, secured to the revoluble part, a well for the carrier to extend in, a journalbox having on its inner surface a feed-groove and a transverse annular groove for the carrier to revolve in, wiping-faces filling said annular groove around the carrier at the point where the feed-groove begins, the front edges of said Wiping-faces being disposed in a plane at a tangent to the circumference of the revoluble part, whereby to cause the lubricant to be deflected downwardly toward the entrance end of said feed-groove, as specified and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE A. ENSIGN.

Witnesses:

GEORGE W. DEATRICK, J os. BAUER.

IIC 

